Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

CancerHealth and safetyWellbeing and health promotionOccupational Health

Employers need ‘sun safety strategies’ to protect outdoor workers

by Ashleigh Webber 7 May 2019
by Ashleigh Webber 7 May 2019

Nine in 10 skin cancer deaths could be prevented if employers and employees took precautions to avoid sun damage – especially those working outdoors.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) said at least 1,500 new diagnoses of non-melanoma skin cancer and 240 new cases of malignant melanoma linked to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure at work every year could be avoided if businesses developed “sun safety strategies”.

Sun safety

Employers should protect outdoor workers during warm weather

Skin cancer responsible for 8% of cancer-related claims, reveals insurer

Such strategies should involve regular updates on the UV index from weather forecasts; minimising workers’ sun exposure in the middle of the day by swapping jobs among team members; and asking employees to wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers.

Outdoor workers – especially those in construction, farming, recreation, sports and public services – are particularly at risk because of their roles. IOSH claimed outdoor workers receive 5-10 times the yearly UVR exposure of indoor workers and are regularly exposed to UVR for more than three-quarters of their working day.

It is estimated that the risk of developing skin cancer increased significantly with five or more years of outdoor work.

“Both malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer are on the rise in Britain and Europe and sun exposure is the main cause. In Britain alone, skin cancer kills 60 workers a year,” said Mary Ogungbeje, research manager at IOSH.

To mark Sun Awareness Week this week, IOSH pointed organisations that employ outdoor staff to research it conducted with Heriot-Watt University. The study, published earlier this year, found workers’ desire to get a sun tan remained high in the summer, with many workers deliberately exposing themselves to high levels of UV radiation to get the desired skin tone.

Heriot-Watt University’s Professor John Cherrie said Britons’ desire for a sun tan is “stopping us from taking proper care to protect our skin from the damaging effects of the UV radiation in sunlight.”

OH job opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more OH jobs

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor at OHW+ and part of the Personnel Today editorial team. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport.

previous post
Chancellor considers world’s highest minimum wage
next post
Four in 10 staff unaware of paid travel time entitlement

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

NHS pressures leaving thousands waiting for cancer diagnosis

17 May 2022

Long NHS waits meaning many with long Covid...

17 May 2022

Grants scheme set up to support women’s health...

16 May 2022

Crumbling school buildings ‘risk to life’ suggests leak

16 May 2022

‘Gulf War Syndrome’ caused by release of nerve...

13 May 2022

Workers feeing increasingly anxious, burnt out and fearful...

13 May 2022

Shift workers: knowing the diet-related health risks

12 May 2022

Majority unaware of long-term damage caused by stroke

12 May 2022

Three-quarters not meeting weekly exercise target

11 May 2022

Employers hindering return to work by failing to...

9 May 2022

  • The importance of being an ethical leader and how to become one PROMOTED | What is ethical leadership?...Read more
  • RPO Report: 2022, The Year to Outsource PROMOTED | Employers should be overwhelmed with choice...Read more
  • Report: Enabling organisational agility through talent & people success PROMOTED | Work has been challenged...Read more
  • Employee Trends 2022 report PROMOTED | Edenred research on employees analysed the key employees’ trends for 2022...Read more
  • How finance apprenticeships can boost business PROMOTED | As the world’s most forward-thinking professional accountancy body...Read more
  • Paul Devoy: Showing appreciation to the Investors in People community PROMOTED | Ask most people what comes to mind when you mention Investors in People...Read more
  • White paper: How digitalisation can support evolving occupational health PROMOTED | Download this free white paper to discover how digitalisation can help occupational health meet emerging challenges...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today